Washing-machine



(N8 Model.) n

J. F. KUHLMAN.l

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 378,138. Patented P6821, 1888.

` UNITED STA-Tas PATENT JOSEPH FREDERICK KUHIJMAN, OF ANAMOSA, IOVA.

WASHlNG-MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,138, dated February 21, 1888.

Application filed February 14, 188'?. Serial No. 227,623. (No model.)

To all whom z'z; may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH Financieren: KUHLMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Anamosa, in the county of Jones and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved 1Washing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to facilitate the washing of clothing in a tub of water; and my invention consists in the construction and combination of a cylinder having aWash-board surface partially composed of coiled metal springs and a flexible Wash-board and a tension device With a portable frame adapted to rest on top of a common tub, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-A Figure l is a side view, and Fig. 2- a top view, of my machine; and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the dotted line a: x of Fig. 2. y

A are the Wooden sides, and B the crosspieces, of a rectangular frame adapted to be placed over a common Wash-tub, as indicated in Fig. 3.

C is a Wooden cylinder provided with gudgeons or journals at its ends and a Wash-board surface on its periphery, composed of a series of iluted Wooden bars, d, that are nailed dat upon the cylinder, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and in such a manner that coiled springwires fcan be placed between them, and also fastened securely to the cylinder by means of staples, or in any suitable Way, so that each coiled wire produces series of elastic ribs that are in rightangled positions relative to the ribs ofl the iiuted bars d.

g is a frame iitted in corresponding slots formed in the sides A in such a manner that it will slide horizontally. It is provided with sliding` bearings g', that admit the journals on the ends of the cylinder and allow the cylinder to be moved horizontally With said sliding bearings. Goiled springs It, connected with the frame g, and the fixed cross-pieces B serve as a tension device in adjusting the sliding frame and roller relative to a Wash-board surface, against which the cylinder will press and rub articles to be Washed, and, as required to be self-adj usting relative to articles of did'erent size and bulk, the springs 11, are secured by means of pins h', fixed to the Wood, or in any suitable Wayb m m are cross-'pieces fixed to the tops and bottoms of the side pieces, A, to support my flexible wash-board in vertical position. A series of coiled Wire springs, l 2 3 4, are independently fastened at their ends to the crosspieces m by means of staples, or in any suitable Way, in such a manner that they will be in contiguous and parallel positions, and also in such a manner that each spring and each coil in each spring will be allowed independent motion relative to any article or button on an article of clothing that may be pressed thereon by means of the cylinder.

n represents a wringer-support fixed on top of the sides A of the frame.

r is a shelf adapted to retain soap.

s is a bar fitted in slots in the sides A in such a manner that it can slide to and from the Washboard, composed of the series of springs l 2 3 4, to serve as a tension device for regulating the resistance of the springs relative to p ressnre produced by articles pressed thereon by the cylinder when it is rotated by means of a crankhandle on its end. Coiledv springs h, corresponding with those that press the roller toward the vertical Wash-board, are connected with the bar s and the crosspiece B.

In the practical use of my machine I place it over a tub of Water, and then place articles to be Washed in the Water and in succession lift them out and place them upon the cylinder, and then rotate the cylinder in reverse Ways to press and rub all parts of the fabric against the flexible wash-board, that extends vertically at the side of the cylinder.

I am aware that a wash-board has been made of coiled springs in such a'mauner that they produced a concave surface or basket adapted to retain articles suspended under a roller. I

'am also aware that rubber tubes'have been Xed on the corrugated surface of a cylinder; but my manner of combining coiled springs with a cylinder to produce a Wash-board sur.- face and with afrarne to produce a vertical and flexible Wash-board at the side of the cylinder is novel and greatly advantageous in that each spring and each coil acts independently upon the fabric that is pressed and rubbed between the cylinder and iieXible Wash-board, and the ILO Clothing' 1111311.15 pressed against the .series of parallel and Yrtically-extending serios of springs l 2 3 4 is elcvatcd out of the water and drained at every revolution of the cylinder and at the same time it is pressed and rubbed.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a cylinder for washingnlachines, the' combination of coiled springs with fluted bars or sections of corrugated surface to produce a series of ribs that project at right angles to the bars or corrugations, for the purposes set forth.

2. Anilnproved washing-machine comprising a portable frame, A B7 a rotating cylinder, 

